Minister of
Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has said he had yet to be briefed about the
multi-billion naira pipeline protection and waterways security contract awarded
to company linked to ex-Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly
known as Tompolo.
Minister
Amaechi stated this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Marine
Transport led by Senator Ahmed Rufai Sani at the National Assembly complex.
Amaechi said
he first heard about the contract on the pages of newspapers and that he had
yet to be properly briefed by officials of the NIMASA on the matter since he
was made minister.
He said he got
to know about Global West Vessel Specialist Agency Ltd. – a company linked to
Tompolo – when he visited the office of NIMASA recently.
He said, “It
was in the public that I knew that Tompolo had a contract. Even up till now, I
have never been briefed about the contract.
“How did I
know the company? I got to NIMASA
and I saw a building that was looking very ugly. And I said for Christ’s sake,
who are the people staying in this dirty place? And they said staff of Global
West Company and they are Tompolo’s staff.
“Nobody ever
mentioned that contract to me. That’s why I said give me information about all
the contracts that you have awarded in NIMASA so that I know and the stage of
payment.”
It would be
recalled that the company secured the $103m contract during Goodluck Jonathan
administration, alongside other similar multi-billion naira contracts.
The contract
and other similar ones given to Global West and other companies linked to the
ex-militants have raised controversy since they were made public.
At the meeting
on Tuesday, Amaechi explained that he was studying the railway and aviation
sectors with a view to deliver solid infrastructure and processes.
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